• Buying a private island is the ultimate escape fantasy – your own slice of land, surrounded by water, with no neighbours in sight
• Private islands in the UK rarely come up for sale, but there is one on this list among three stunning options in the Caribbean
• Prices vary enormously depending on location, size and existing infrastructure, from just over £5 million to more than £40 million in this case

Owning your own private island. It’s one of those daydreams that feels so far-fetched it barely seems worth entertaining – and yet, here we are. Because private islands for sale do exist and there are some genuinely extraordinary ones listed on Rightmove.

Buying an island

What makes an island worth its price tag? It’s rarely just the land. Infrastructure plays a huge role – a remote island with its own pier, renewable energy system and accommodation already in place is a very different proposition to a blank canvas of scrub and shoreline.

Development potential matters too. Several islands on this list come with planning permission already in place, tax incentives, or even a full masterplan drawn up and ready to go.

Then there’s location. Private islands in the UK are extraordinarily rare, and when one does come to market, it tends to stop people in their tracks. The Caribbean islands on this list each offer something different, from the raw and untouched to land which has already had millions invested into it.

Whether you’re dreaming of a family estate, a boutique retreat or a full-blown resort development, an island is, in every sense, the ultimate property purchase.

Here are four of the most remarkable private islands for sale on Rightmove right now.

Scotland’s most extraordinary estate – all 1,110 acres of it

Shuna Island hasn’t been on the open market for 80 years, which alone makes this one of the most significant property listings in the UK right now. Off the west coast of Scotland, this remarkable Hebridean estate spans 1,110 acres of rolling hills, sheltered bays and dramatic coastline. It also comes with eight residential properties, a working farm and the atmospheric ruins of Shuna Castle at its heart.

The castle, an early 20th-century structure with sweeping coastal views, offers real redevelopment potential, subject to planning. Meanwhile, the eight properties dotted across the island – Shuna Farmhouse, South End House and a handful of cottages among them – sleep up to 52 guests in total.

That’s enough for a serious hospitality operation, or just a very large family reunion. And access isn’t the headache you’d imagine.

A private pier, slipways and a helipad cover most scenarios, with helicopter connections to Glasgow and Islay airports. Oban is a short boat ride away for everyday essentials such as shops, schools and ferry links.

In terms of the island’s wildlife, the roster includes red and fallow deer, eagles and porpoises. Solar panels and wind turbines handle the energy side of things.

Private islands of this scale and heritage don’t come up for sale often in the UK. At £5,500,000, Shuna Island is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

A Caribbean development opportunity unlike any other

Grand Scrub Island is in the British Virgin Islands, and its backstory is half the pitch. Two decades ago, it was, as the name suggests, nothing but scrub. The current owners have since transformed the neighbouring Little Scrub into Scrub Island Resort & Spa – and now they’re selling Grand Scrub separately, ready for the next developer to take it on.

The hard work is already done. Power has been brought to the island via undersea cable, a desalination plant is in place, and the full-service marina (along with a service area, barge ramp and commercial dock) is operational. Restaurants, bars and accommodation are already up and running on the neighbouring island, all available to serve Grand Scrub’s future development.

Just 1.5 miles off Tortola, which is the British Virgin Islands’ largest island and home to Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, Grand Scrub is easy to reach from San Juan, St Thomas and St Maarten. The bones of a world-class resort are already here. Someone just needs to build on them.

376 acres, five bays and 20 years of tax exemptions

Isle à Quatre is one of the most ambitious opportunities on this list – a 376-acre private island in St Vincent and the Grenadines with planning permission already granted for a 45-villa development, including a hotel, restaurant and marina. And that’s before you get to the 20-year tax holiday.

Located just one mile from the island of Bequia and around 100 miles west of Barbados, Isle à Quatre is well-positioned within the southern Caribbean archipelago. Its five west-facing bays, hilltop views, white sandy beaches and surrounding coral reefs make it the kind of place that looks like a CGI render.

The island has been owned by the Mitchell family for over 100 years and is currently a marine reserve, meaning its natural environment is in exceptional condition. The development masterplan is in place, a holding company has been set up, and an Act of Parliament provides for substantial incentives – including duty-free concessions, residency for the purchaser and investors, and exemptions modelled on successful developments at Mustique and Canouan.

Access is easy: a 20-minute boat ride from Bequia, with nearby airports at St Vincent, Mustique and Canouan offering connections to Barbados, Miami, JFK and beyond.

For serious developers with the vision to match, this could be the Caribbean’s next great private island resort.

The most beautiful 10 acres in the Grenadines?

White Island gets its name from the coral sand, and the coral sand absolutely delivers. Ten acres, one mile off the southern tip of Carriacou, 20 miles from Grenada and 35 miles south of Mustique.

Sailors who know the Grenadines well tend to put White Island at the top of the list – and once you see it, that’s not hard to understand. Beaches on three sides, coral reefs down to 40 feet, and a small mountain giving the island its distinctive shape.

What makes White Island particularly special is how untouched it remains. The ecology is intact, the marine environment is pristine, and the island comes with permission for development of a private residence – meaning a buyer has genuine scope to build something exceptional in a location that rivals the very best in the Caribbean.

Getting there is straightforward: Carriacou is easily reached via ferry from Grenada, and the island’s small airstrip is just two miles from the marina. From there, White Island is accessible by sail or powerboat.

At £7,111,700, this is your chance to buy an island in the Grenadines before the rest of the world catches on.